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Coordinator

SuperFanDBS Writer

They should hand it to Ford, he's the better HB, STer, KRer and athlete now and in the future.

Was that all I was going on? I'm pretty sure not and I don't care nearly as much about cute feet as I do about functional speed.

Why wouldn't they draft another HB? I'm a Ford fan and I wanted one drafted in the exact round Carey was selected in. We had exactly two HBs worth a damn on the roster, now we have three. Strength in numbers, talent an depth.

If Lynch beats Ford I'll let you sig me for a month. If he outdoes Ford in any single phase of the game, I'll be shocked.

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I don't do the sig bet stuff. You know that and I never said you were being racist I said you were stereotyping by position and to me you are. Tim Tebow would probably still be playing if he's agreed to play RB or HBack. I'm not saying it's a common thing for guys like him and Lynch to convert but it's also not the impossibility you want to make it.

You like Ford. I like Ford too but with the exception of a few nice carries and a little shake and bake move last preseason that left a tackler looking foolish I haven't seen all that much from him. He wasn't all that and a bag of chips on STeams either so it's not like we're talking about a core player here. Guys like him get replaced all the time.

How do you rank functional speed? As far as quickness and agility it would seem that Lynch is at least the equivalent of Carey and so far the coaches have said he's been impressive. I think we both know that Carey is a virtual lock to be the #2 back so all we're talking about is the #3 spot. Ford has some traits the Bears may value and Lynch has a few other they may also value. What it all comes down to is who they can use the most now with a few points thrown in for upside.

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Veteran

All this high and mighty color blind stuff is genuinely inspiring, but fact remains that my opinion on this matter is grounded solidly in imperial evidence and facts of life. It's cool the guy is catching some return balls, guess what, our current ridiculously more athletic, proven, experienced and simply better (yes, I said it without even seeing them side-by-side on the same field) third HB, Michael Ford, has been doing that his entire career since HS. Three tenths of a second might not mean much to you, how about the tenth of a second faster he went from stop to go? That's a whole yard further he can be within a ten yard sprint down field. That's a half yard difference to the hole from the normalrb formation set and the difference between difference between beating a diving tackler to the edge. You can kid yourself into believing Lynch can compete with Ford because he can throw a wobbly pass, I won't.

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But if Ford was so amazing why did they draft Carey in the 4th round?

The way I see it Ford does have a huge gap on Lynch for the number 3 spot, and he should aim to push for the number 2 spot and to be a guy who sees snaps. But Lynch has some traits that make me think he's worth a shot. He reminds me of the patriots model of working out first and fore most if a guy is a football player and then working out where to put him. I think he'll be the 4th best RB and if he makes the roster it will be for what he can do all around. Same with Ford. Sure they will be competing directly for the spot on the RB depth chart but it's an all round game.

I would say the reason 31% of all players on rosters were undrafted last year is because of special teams. The last few roster spots always go down to special teams and it's often where the undrafted guys who might not have the perfect measurables or otherwise stand out due to competitiveness and how well they respond to coaching. It's also where Ford and Lynch will have to contribute to make the roster.

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Assistant Head Coach

SuperFanDBS Writer

My personal favorite Bears UDFA was Jay Hilgenberg. Most of you guys know I'm an oline nut, and I still enjoy watching old video of this guy play. He was an UDFA who had a stellar 13 year career & was a Pro Bowl Bear 7 times, and an All-Pro 7 times. He's been nominated for the Hall of Fame but centers have a tough time getting into the Hall. I loved watching him block for Walter Payton.

Anyway, here's a fun link of the top 25 UDFA's from the last 25 years. If you Google the topic you'll be amazed at some of the guys who were UDFA's (many are not on this particular list). Some are among the best players ever to play in the NFL. Before someone jumps on me and says this is the exception and not the rule, hey, I concede that. My only point is that some of the best players to ever play the game have been UDFA's (15 are in the Hall of Fame). Yes it is the exception. But quality guys do go undrafted that end up having stellar careers. And we've already read that 40% of 1st round players end up busts (from that 10 year study posted earlier today). So the fancy pedigree doesn't assure a solid player. I guess I just get frustrated when I read posters denigrate UDFA's as if they have no shot at having an NFL career. Some will not only have long NFL careers but will also be Pro Bowl level players. History bears that out (pun intended) :smile:

1. Kurt Warner, QB, Northern Iowa
He played in three Super Bowls with the Rams and Cardinals and won the league’s MVP twice. He was also MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV when St. Louis defeated the Titans 23-16. Warner holds many postseason records and should make the Hall of Fame.

2. John Randle, DT, Texas A&I
The ferocious Vikings pass rusher was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. Randle totaled 137.5 sacks in his 14 seasons with the Vikings and Seahawks. He made seven Pro Bowls and was elected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s.

3. Antonio Gates, TE, Kent State
The Chargers turned to the basketball court to find Gates, who did not play college football. He’s made eight Pro Bowls in nine seasons in San Diego, and Gates has amassed over 7,700 receiving yards and 76 touchdowns in his career.

4. Wes Welker, WR, Texas Tech
The ultra-quick Welker was also drafted by San Diego, but then was cut and signed on with Miami. However his numbers have skyrocketed in the New England spread system, and Welker has an NFL-leading 554 catches over the last five years.

5. Adam Vinatieri, K, South Dakota State
Some may disagree with having a kicker this high, but Vinatieri’s contributions to elite teams should not be undervalued. He has been a part of four championships with the Patriots and Colts and made a last-second, game-winner in two of those Super Bowls.

6. Brian Waters, G, North Texas
Waters failed to latch on with the Cowboys during his first year out of college in 1999, but he found a home in Kansas City the next season. The elite blocker made five Pro Bowls with the Chiefs and then a sixth with the Patriots last season.

7. Jeff Saturday, C, North Carolina
The five-time Pro Bowler anchored the Colts offensive line from 2000-11. During his time snapping to Peyton Manning, Indy won double-digit games nine times and claimed a Super Bowl XLI title.

8. Priest Holmes, RB, Texas
The former Ravens and Chiefs runner had a solid career with over 8,000 rushing yards and 94 total touchdowns. Holmes had an amazing three-year run in Kansas City from 2001-03, amassing 4.590 rush yards and 56 TDs on the ground.

9. Tony Romo, QB, Eastern Illinois
The popular Cowboys signal caller is still building his legacy, but he has already made three Pro Bowls and tossed 149 touchdowns in 77 starts. Romo’s career passer rating is a very impressive 96.9.

10. James Harrison, LB, Kent State
The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year bounced around for a couple of years before landing back with the Steelers in 2004. Harrison has become a playmaking force in Pittsburgh, including winning two Super Bowls.

11. Rod Smith, WR, Missouri Southern
He played his entire 12-year career in Denver, and Smith’s 849 receptions put him in the top 20 in NFL history. He was part of two Super Bowl winners with the Broncos and went over 1,000 yards receiving eight times.

12. Jesse Tuggle, LB, Valdosta
The Georgia native played for the Falcons from 1987-2000, making over 1,800 tackles in 209 games. “The Hammer” was a five-time Pro Bowler, and Tuggle’s No. 58 was retired by Atlanta in 2002.

13. Pat Williams, DT, Texas A&M
The massive run stuffer took a while to make a mark in the NFL, but he became a defensive force for the decade of the 2000s. Williams made three straight Pro Bowls from 2006-08 while playing for the Vikings.

14. Jeff Garcia, QB, San Jose State
The four-time Pro Bowler starred in Canada to begin his professional career, and did not play in the NFL until age 29. However, Garcia made his mark by throwing for over 25,000 yards with the 49ers, Browns, Lions, Eagles and Buccaneers.

15. London Fletcher, LB, John Carroll
The undersized tackling machine has been a playmaker with the Rams, Bills and Redskins for over a decade now. He has never missed a game in 14 NFL seasons and has started every game over the last 11 years.

16. Arian Foster, RB, Tennessee
The Texans star runner is the youngest member on this list, but he has put up some staggering numbers over the last two seasons. Foster led the NFL in rushing in 2010 with 1,616 yards and followed that with 1,224 yards in 13 games a year ago.

17. David Akers, K, Louisville
The reliable kicker has led the NFL in scoring over the last two seasons. Akers has made 338 career field goals with a better than 82% accuracy rate. After making five Pro Bowls with the Eagles, he made his sixth last season in San Francisco.

18. Shaun O'Hara, C, Rutgers
The tough interior blocker started his career playing guard for the Browns, but he flourished with the Giants from 2004-10. During that span, O’Hara made three Pro Bowls and was a leader on the Giants Super Bowl winner in 2008.

19. Bart Scott, LB, Southern Illinois
The entertaining linebacker has played on some quality defenses with both the Ravens and Jets, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2006. Over the last six seasons, Scott has only missed one start.

20. Antonio Pierce, LB, Arizona
He had a fairly short NFL career but was a tackling machine from 2004-08 with the Redskins and Giants. Much like O’Hara, Pierce was an underrated leader for the Super Bowl XLII champions.

21. Jake Delhomme, QB, Louisiana-Lafayette
The Bayou native started slow with the Saints, but he found a nice niche with the Panthers from 2003-09. Delhomme passed for over 19,000 yards and 120 TDs during those seven seasons and led Carolina to a Super Bowl appearance in 2003.

22. Barry Sims, T, Utah
The starting left tackle for two league championship games and a Super Bowl in 2002, Sims played 12 NFL seasons in the Bay Area. He was a solid blocker in Oakland for nine years before finishing his career in San Francisco.

23. Wayne Chrebet, WR, Hofstra
The New York fan favorite was a classic underdog story, and he played his entire career with the Jets. Chrebet was especially effective from 1995-2002, when he caught 507 passes and 39 TDs during that eight-year span.

24. Josh Cribbs, KR/PR, Kent State
The college quarterback has been mainly known as a returner for the Browns, but he did have 445 receiving yards and 614 rush yards from 2008-10. Cribbs has averaged 25.7 yards on 344 career kick returns, while scoring eight times.

25. Cullen Jenkins, DL, Central Michigan
The younger brother of Kris Jenkins turned himself into a solid interior defender with the Packers and Eagles after some time in NFL Europe. He had a career-high in tackles last year with Philadelphia.

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Assistant Head Coach

DBS Writer

It would seem to me that Emery is cycling through/kicking tires on more players than JA did. I don't expect UDFA miracles but just to get a backup TE and a reserve safety would be great. Anything else is gravy as far as addressing needs.

I'm hoping the expanded scouting dept. can really help getting good UDFA's.

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Hall of Famer

You like Ford. I like Ford too but with the exception of a few nice carries and a little shake and bake move last preseason that left a tackler looking foolish I haven't seen all that much from him. He wasn't all that and a bag of chips on STeams either so it's not like we're talking about a core player here. Guys like him get replaced all the time.

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Yeah, I liked Ford last PS too. And Id love for him to become a valuable guy for us. But, and this is admittedly very preliminary here, I haven't seen this great "athleticism" translated to the field yet. I don't recall him standing out at all on STs, correct me if I'm wrong here. And all last year when our #2 RB was utterly ineffective and overpaid I don't recall Ford ever getting a single snap on offense. Pretty much the equivalent of CornWash not getting hardly any PT despite a DL that was a complete dumpster fire.

So yeah I think the idea that Ford should be just handed a roster spot because "his athletic numbers are better" is pretty weak. As Soul said, guys like him get replaced all the time. If Ford was all that he'd have been given a few handoffs last year and he wasn't.

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Assistant Head Coach

DBS Writer

If we are going to have a Bears combine, then yeah Ford should be entered. If we are looking for who is going to gain more yards with the ball, then we should probably wait and see what they do in the camps and preseason before we crown anyone. We have some good competition here. I can't even count the number of players that had great combine numbers and did badly on the field. Not to say that is Ford, but I'm far from thinking that he is going to be the best RB just because of his measurables. There is a reason that he did not play all that much last year and that we brought in more than one RB to take a look at.

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Assistant Head Coach

SuperFanDBS Writer

It would seem to me that Emery is cycling through/kicking tires on more players than JA did. I don't expect UDFA miracles but just to get a backup TE and a reserve safety would be great. Anything else is gravy as far as addressing needs.

I'm hoping the expanded scouting dept. can really help getting good UDFA's.

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I really agree 100% with this. This upgraded scouting department, and a solid GM in Emery should result in some good talent being harvested from the UDFA pool each year. Even if it's just a few players to fill out our roster and add much needed quality depth. It doesn't have to be a great player find, but just finding rock-solid depth here-and-there would make us a better team. I think it's things like this that separate the best teams from the good teams. We've often been a good team, but just couldn't climb into that great team position. I'm hopeful that Emery and the upgraded scouting department can change this, and a few UDFA's could be key in this process......even if their merely depth players.

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Veteran

My personal favorite Bears UDFA was Jay Hilgenberg. Most of you guys know I'm an oline nut, and I still enjoy watching old video of this guy play. He was an UDFA who had a stellar 13 year career & was a Pro Bowl Bear 7 times, and an All-Pro 7 times. He's been nominated for the Hall of Fame but centers have a tough time getting into the Hall. I loved watching him block for Walter Payton.

Anyway, here's a fun link of the top 25 UDFA's from the last 25 years. If you Google the topic you'll be amazed at some of the guys who were UDFA's (many are not on this particular list). Some are among the best players ever to play in the NFL. Before someone jumps on me and says this is the exception and not the rule, hey, I concede that. My only point is that some of the best players to ever play the game have been UDFA's (15 are in the Hall of Fame). Yes it is the exception. But quality guys do go undrafted that end up having stellar careers. And we've already read that 40% of 1st round players end up busts (from that 10 year study posted earlier today). So the fancy pedigree doesn't assure a solid player. I guess I just get frustrated when I read posters denigrate UDFA's as if they have no shot at having an NFL career. Some will not only have long NFL careers but will also be Pro Bowl level players. History bears that out (pun intended) :smile:

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I read a piece similar to that the other day. I understand Kurt Warner had a great career (he was #1 on the list I read as well) but I don't see how you can rank him above Hall of Famers like John Randle, Larry Little, Willie Brown, Joe Perry, Warren Moon, and Night Train Lane. Warner isn't even a lock to be a Hall of Famer. He very well could end up there but these guys are in the Hall of Fame. The list should start with them and then we can talk about the Wes Welkers and and Jeff Saturdays of the world.

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Assistant Head Coach

SuperFanDBS Writer

If we are going to have a Bears combine, then yeah Ford should be entered. If we are looking for who is going to gain more yards with the ball, then we should probably wait and see what they do in the camps and preseason before we crown anyone. We have some good competition here. I can't even count the number of players that had great combine numbers and did badly on the field. Not to say that is Ford, but I'm far from thinking that he is going to be the best RB just because of his measurables. There is a reason that he did not play all that much last year and that we brought in more than one RB to take a look at.

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BIH, the season is on the brink of disaster until we bring back the mighty Harvey Unga for his 17th Bears stint :smile:

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DaBears Ditka

SuperFanDBS Writer

It's not very hard to see why they brought in other runners. It's an extremely important position where we had a whole two quality players and were a single play away from distaster. As for returns, I'll believe Lynch is anything but getting tested for versatility when I see it. I'd bet he goes into the season closer to tenth than first on that depth chart.

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you think they'll carry 10 RB's, cool I'll take that bet! You're on.

listen I don't think he's going to be the backup, but I don't think you can dismiss what Trestman and Kromer are saying about him, about his ability to see and react to the field, those are key components to the KR/PR as well as RB positions.

I also don't think you can honestly say the team has ANY confidence in Ford right now after they brought in 2 competitors for the backup and 3rd rb role. If the team liked Ford so much they wouldn't have brought in Carey to fight for the #2 spot, or Lynch to fight for the 3rd/ST role.

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